West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-08-18
INSURANCE.
SERMON BY REV. DIR. rALmAeR.
Something Concerning Underwriters I'm
This World. and Insurance For
The World TO Come.

Of Egypt IN the seuen rtenteosts wears y
Genesis xii, 81
These were the words OF Joseph, the Presi-
dent OF the first insurance company that
the world ever saw. Pharaoh had dream that
distracted him. He thought ne stood on tho
banks OF the River Nile and saw coming up
out OF the river seven fat, sleek glossy cows
and they began 70 browse in the thick grass
Nothing frightul about that But after
. them, coming out Of the same river be saw
seven cows that were quaint and starved, and
tho worst looking cows that had ever been
seen IN the land, and I'm the ferocity of hunger
tney devoured their seven fat predecessors
Pharaoh, the King. sent for Joseph TO de-
cipher these midnight hieroglyphics Joseph
made short work of IL, and intimated the
seven fat cows that came out of the river
are seven years with plenty 10 eat, the
seven emaciated cows that followed them
are seven years with nothing TO eat
Now" said Joseph, "Let us take one
nith OF the corn crop OF the seven
prosperous years and keep il as a provision
Tor the seven years in which there shall be no
corn crop" The King took tho counsel
and appointed Joseph, because OF his integ-
rlty and public spirtedness, as the President
one-hfth of their income q premium. In
all the towns and cities of the land there
were branch houses. This great Egyptian
life insurance company had millions Of dol
lars as assets. After awhile the dark DAYS
came and the whole nation would have
starved II 1t had not been for the provision
they had made for the future. But now
these suffering families had nothing to do
but go up and collect the amount of their
life policies. The Bible puts il in one short
phrase: "In all the land of Egypt there was
bread say this was the first life insurance
company. 1t was divineIy organized IL
had in 1t all the advantages of the whole
life PLAN" of the "tontine plan,n of the ere
served endowment plan,n aud all the other
good plans. We are told that Rev. Dr. An
hate, of Lincolnshire, England originated
IN NJ
1t Is as old as the corn cribs of Egypt; and
Tod himself was the author and originator
~ that were not so l would not take your
time and mine in Sabbath discussion of this
subject feel it is a theme, vital, religious
and OF infinite import, the morals of life and
fire insurance
About ten or twelve years ago there was a
great panic in life insurance which did good
Under the storm the Enthusiastically and bo-
gus institutions were scattered, while the
genuineswere tested and firmly established.
and where does the life insurance institution
stand to-day What amount of comfort of
education, of moral and spiritual ADVANTAGE
Is represented IN the simple statistic that In
this country the life insurance companies in
one year paid 81 ,OOO,0 600 TO the families of the
bereft; and in five years they paid $500. OOO.-
900 to the families of the bereft; and ara
promising TO pay-and hold themselves In
readiness to pay-S2, 900 DOC, 600 TO the fami-
lies of the bereft
They have actually paid out more by diyi-
dends and death claims than they have ever
received in premiums. l know OF what /
speak The life insurance companies of this
country paid more than 1000, 900 of taxes to
the government in five years So instead of
these companies being indebted to the land
the land is indebted to them. To cry out
against life Insurance because here and there
one company has behaved badly Is as absurd
rs 10 would be for a man to burn down ono
acres of harvest field in order to kill the moles
ana potato bugs-as preposterous as a man
VINO should blow up crowded steamer in
mid,Atantic for the purpose of destroying
the barnacleS on the bottom of the hulk
But what does the Bible say in regard To
TINS subJectt IL the Bible favors the institu-
non, will favor il; if the Bible denounces il,
VIII denounce 1t. In addition to the fore.
cast OF Joseph in the text, l call your alton
ton to PauIs comparison. Here X one man
who, through neglect, fails 10 support his
family while he lives, or after he dies Here
is another man, who abhoTs the Scriptures
and rejects God. Which of those men is the
worsef Well you say, the latter Paul saws
tue former. Paul says that man who neg
lects 70 care for his household is moro obnoS-
lons than man who rejects the Scriptures:
be that provideth not for his own and espe-
cially those of his own household Is worse
than an intidel.n Life insurance compauies
help most OF US to provide for our families
after we are gone; but, If we have the money
70 pag the premiums and do not nav them
we have no right TO expect mercy at the hand
OF dod IN the Judgment. We are worse
than Tom Paine. worse than Voltaire
and worse than Shaftesbury. The Bible de-
clareS tive are worse than an inddeI
After the certificate Of death has been made
out, and thirty or sixty days have passed, and
the officer of the life insurance company
comes into the bereft household and paws
down the hard cash on an insurance policv
that officer of the company Is perforuino n
positively religious rite according 20 the
Apostle James, who SAYS: 'sTrue religion
and undefiled before God and the Father is
this: To visit the fatherless and the widow
an q ala
OF Christ proposes 70 take care OF the tenn
pcral wants OF the people as well as the shirt
val When Heze .iah was dying the injunc-
ton came to him. ssSet thv hotse in
order, for thou shalt die and not live y
That injunction in our day would
mean: MAKE your will; settle up your
accounts; make things plain; don't de-
celve your heirs with rolls Of worthless
mining stock don't deceive them with
deeds for western lands that will never
yield any crop but chills and fever: don't
leave for them notes that have been out
lawed, and secOnd mortgages on property
that VIII not pay the first. ''Sot thy house
IN Order.h That is fix up things so your
going out OF the world may make as little
CONSERVATION a. possible. See the lean cattle
oevOuring the fat cattle and ia the time Of
plenty. prepare for the time Of want. The
difficulty Is. when men think Of their death
they are afraid TO think Of IL only in connee-
ton with their spiritual welfare, and not OF
the devastation In the household which will
come because Of their emigration from e. IL
$ meanly selfish for you to DO 80 absorbed In
the heaven to which you are going that Won
forget what Is 20 become Of your wife and
children after you are dead You can get
out 81 this worid without leaving a dollar aud
yet die happy il you could not provide for
them: you can trust them in the hands Of the
God who owns all the harvests and the herds
and the locks, hut III you could pay the
premiums on policy and neglect them Il Is a
lnoau thing for you to 20 up e. heaven while
they 90 into the poorhouse You. at death
move into mansion, river front and they
move into two rooms on the fourth story of n
tenement houag in p back street when thov
are out ct the elbows and knees the thought
of your splendid robes I'm heaven viii not keep
them warm. The minister may preach n
Splendid sermon over your remains and the
quartet may sing like four angels iu tie
organ loft, but your death win be n avvindlo
you had the means to provide for the corn
Tort Of y0ur household when You left IL and
you wickgllY neglected TO- Ooh savs coma
one, have more faith than you: II believe
when i 70 ont Of this world fhe Lord
viii provide for themo Go 10 BIaolr.
wels Island, go through aii tho poorhousee
oi tho country, md ] will show You how
often God provides for tho NEGLECTED. children
~ ne8ioctiul parents That is hs provides
TOT them through public charity as for
myself \ would rather have the Lord provide
1or my family iu owivate home, and through
ny own Industry, nud p1ternal and c0niuQal
taitniuine1 But says some man. ~ mean
Pr the next ten or twenty years TO make a
great fortune. and - j shall leave my family,